


What About Family?

by xPhoenix



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence - Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Explicit Language, Gen, Hurt Peter Quill, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Gamora (Marvel), Protective Mantis, Protective Yondu, Team as Family, Torture, ego is a dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-03-18 20:32:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 7,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13689291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xPhoenix/pseuds/xPhoenix
Summary: "I'm worried about Peter."------AU where Peter goes off with Ego alone. (Spoiler alert: it doesn't go well)





	1. Were he not gone

“I’m worried about Peter.”

Rocket sighed, rolled his eyes, and stared at Gamora. “You’ve said that before. Twenty-six times. We get it. You’re worried.”

“But-“

“He’s fine, Gamora.”

“What-“

“-And even if he runs into trouble, he can take care of himself.” Rocked smiled, trying to reassure her.

Gamora huffed, and then turned away. “He’s been gone for too long. Longer than he said he would be gone.”

“He’s probably just enjoying some quality family time, okay? His father could be-“

“Evil, for all we know. Dammit, Rocket, we shouldn’t’ve let him go alone.”

“Why don’t you call him, Gamora?”

She rolled her eyes. “I did. He didn’t pick up.”

That got Rocket’s attention. “What?”

“He hasn’t picked up ever since he left.”

“Well, why didn’t you say anything?” Rocket paced back and forth. 

“I tried! But you kept on dismissing my concerns.”

“Shit.”

“I am Groot!”

Gamora looked at Groot, and then at Rocket.

“He says that we need to do something. And yeah, I agree. But where do we start?”

Gamora considered this for a few seconds. “Well, Peter’s father said he had a planet, didn’t he? We need to find it.”

Rocket rolled his eyes. “We know that. But how the hell are we supposed to find it? We don’t even have a name.”

“I am Groot.”

“Oh, right!”

“What did he say?”

“Peter’s father had said his name was Ego. If he ‘owns’ the planet, his name is probably connected to it somehow.”

“What, you think the planet would be called ‘Ego’? Rocket-“

“Listen, Gamora, it’s worth a shot, okay? It’s the only lead we have, unless you know something you’re not telling us.”

Gamora was silent for a moment. “Well…”

Rocket stared at her. “What?”

“It’s pretty far-fetched, but there is someone who might know where Peter’s father is.”

Rocket made a face. “Who?”


	2. Who was so foolish

“Peter did _what_ now?” Yondu yelled.

“We told you, he-“ Drax started.

“I know damn well what you said.” Yondu took a deep breath. “How long has he been gone?”  
  
“Six days,” Gamora answered.

Yondu swore.

“Hey,” Rocket complained, covering Groot’s ears.

“You’re telling me that you _let_ Peter run off with that dick, _alone,_ and he’s been gone for a week, and you didn’t even _bother to check on him_? Shit, at this point he could be dead!”

The Guardians were shocked into silence. 

“I tried to protect him from this fate, but you morons just _let_ the most sadistic bastard in the galaxy just waltz on in and take him!” Yondu stood up and paced around the room. “Damn you all!”

Gamora and Rocket looked at each other nervously.

“Do you know where Peter’s father might be?” Drax asked cautiously.

Yondu snorted. “Every time I went to see that man, he was in a different spot. Unless you find someone else who knows, the best you lot can do is run around the galaxy until you happen to find Ego’s planet.” He shook his head and cut the connection. 

“Well, that was helpful.”

 

———

 

Yondu was pissed.

The moment Peter waltzed off with these new idiotic friends of his, his father came after him. Yondu should have known that Ego hadn’t given up on Peter; he was always just waiting for the right moment to strike and take Peter away from him.

Dammit.

 

———

 

Things were tense on the Milano. It just wasn’t the same without Peter there to crack a few jokes and diffuse the situation. Suddenly, Rocket broke the heavy silence.

“I have a plan.”

“How much of a plan?” Gamora asked, immediately granting Rocket her full attention.

Rocket shrugged. “I don’t know if it would work or not.” He paused.

“What?” Drax asked impatiently. Gamora glared at him.

“The Nova Corps might know the location of Ego’s planet.”

Gamora sighed. “Did you not hear what Yondu said? Ego’s planet is always moving. And if that man is even half as bad as Yondu claims, do you really think Nova-"

“I know, I know, it’s a pretty stupid plan, but it’s the only plan we have.”

“What makes you so sure Nova would willingly give us this information?”

Rocket smirked. “I know they won’t. But I have a plan.”


	3. All that can happen to harm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, the response to this fic has been incredible! Thank you for reading :D

Peter began to realize something was wrong the moment he arrived at the planet with Ego. His father had claimed that the island was empty except for the two of them, but Peter kept noticing someone out of the corner of his eye every once in a while. “Hey, are we really the only ones here?” Peter finally asked.

“Of course! It’s my planet, I would know if anyone else was here,” was the answer Ego gave him.

Still, Peter was suspicious. “What did you do here before I arrived?” Peter sighed internally. He was sure his doubts were pointless, but he wanted to make sure. Just in case.

———

Rocket ducked into a swarm of people heading into Nova Corps’ base. As he snuck past the guards, he quickly glanced backwards to make sure no one had noticed him. So far, so good. “Gamora,” he hissed into his coms. “You in position?”

Gamora was quick to respond. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Alright. As soon as I say go, fire.”

———

No. Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. 

Peter clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and fired his blasters at his “father”. 

Ego frowned down at his ruined body, and reformed it. “Come on, Peter, sometimes we have to do things we really don’t want to do. It was a necessary evil!”

“You killed her. You KILLED MY MOTHER!” Peter struggled as Ego sent tendrils of energy at him, pinning him to the wall.

“Peter…”

“No, fuck you!”

That was the last thing Peter would say for a while.

———

Gamora snuck into the room where she knew Nova stored their most secretive information. “Come on…” she muttered impatiently as she waited for the computer to find what she needed. Eventually, the coordinates she needed flashed onto the screen. She smirked and sent them to Rocket. “Do you have your distraction ready?” Gamora asked, already knowing the answer.

———

All of his life, Peter had dreamed of meeting his father. They would play baseball together, like he had always seen the other boys doing with their fathers. They would have the special father-son relationship that nothing else could possibly replace. They would do so many fun things together, and at the end of the day they would go home, back to his mom.

Peter had never thought that when he met his father, he would torture him.

It felt like he had been hanging there for days. A rational part of Peter informed him that it had only been a few hours, but Peter chose to ignore that in favor of (mentally) hurling insults at his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. The world will end in fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter was not having a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for the wonderful nads31.
> 
> Enjoy!

Gamora pulled herself back onto the Milano at the last possible minute, panting furiously. “Really, Rocket? You couldn’t have pulled off a better distraction than whatever that was?” Gamora yelled.

Rocket shrugged. “I thought it would work better than that.”

“Well, you made it back to the ship,” Drax uselessly commented.

Gamora groaned. She was on a team of idiots. “So, who wants to contact Yondu?”

Everyone backed away as fast as they could. She had to do everything on this damn ship.

———

Peter was not having a good day.

Was it even still the same day as when he found out that his fa- Ego killed his mom? It’s hard to tell when you’re getting used as a fucking battery, Peter mused.

How long would it be until his friends realized something was wrong? How long would it take for them to notice that he had been “off the grid” for too long? Would they even care?

Would they think that he had just decided to abandon them forever?

———

Gamora ended the call with Yondu, rubbing her temples. It had been seven days since Peter left with Ego, and she was ready to admit that she was terrified. 

Gamora usually wasn’t much into showing emotion, but somehow, Peter broke down all her walls. The way he would cheer the crew up with a witty remark and a smirk…

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She had a job to do, and she wasn’t going to let her silly emotions get in the way of finding Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm on Tumblr as @sleep-is-for-the-weak


	5. Over the open fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last thing Peter saw was Ego smiling sadly down at him before he sank blissfully into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I've returned with a complete idea of where I'm going, a chapter count, and new chapter titles shamelessly stolen from various poems. I hope you enjoy!

Suddenly, the light faded. The tendrils stabbing through Peter faded into nothingness. He immediately fell to the ground. The last thing Peter saw was Ego smiling sadly down at him before he sank blissfully into unconsciousness. 

———

Ego had never planned to hurt Peter.

He knew that his part-Terran son was special. He knew that Peter was capable of helping him fulfill his goals.

He also knew that if Peter wasn’t going to cooperate, he was going to have to force him to help.

Ego had never planned to hurt Peter.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t.

———

Peter woke up cramped in a cage with Ego looming over him. “What do you want?” Peter spat out.

“To talk to you.”

Peter snorted. “Sure.”

Ego sighed. “Look, Peter, all you have to do is work with me, instead of against me.”

“And help you destroy the world? No way. I may be a thief, but I’m not some… supervillan.”

“If you work with me, and donate your energy of your own free will, it won’t hurt at all. I give you my word.”

Peter laughed darkly. “Your word means nothing to me, you bastard. You killed my mother.”

Ego could see that Peter wasn’t ready to give in just yet.

Later, though, Peter would be more than willing to cooperate. Ego was sure of that.

———

Rocket stared blankly ahead as the ship sped through the galaxy, not even glancing backwards when Gamora walked in.

“Rocket,” she proded gently.

“What,” he replied flatly.

“You need to get some rest.”

“I’ve got stuff to do,” Rocket protested weakly. “This ship can’t fly itself!”

Gamora smiled slightly. “You know I’m perfectly capable of piloting while you take a break.”

“You aren’t as fast as I am. Peter’s father could be doing anything to him right now, and every moment we waste is another moment of pain for Peter!” Rocket yelled.

Gamora glared at him. “I know that, Rocket, but you’re of no use to us if you’re falling asleep on the job!”

“I-“ Rocket started.

But then, it occurred to him that Gamora was right. He took a deep breath before standing up and facing her. “Fine.” Rocket stalked off to get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! You might've noticed, but this work is now listed as part of a series, because I keep getting ideas for where to take this story after the end of this fic, so after I finish this up, I'll be posting side-stories and one-shots there.


	6. You must tell me

Everything hurt. Peter squirmed around, trying to find a more comfortable position, but only succeeded at getting himself even more twisted. He groaned as he tried to get his legs out from under him.

“Are you alright?” A small voice asked timidly.

Peter whipped his head around, trying to find whoever was speaking. “Who’s there?”

A petite figure stepped forwards into the light. “I am Mantis,” she introduced.

“I thought I was alone on this planet. Well, me and Ego,” he amended.

“No, no,” Mantis said. “I live here too. I help my master sleep.”

“Your master?” Peter questioned.

“Ego,” she explained.

Peter was revolted. He had known for a while now that his father was a massive dick, but really? He forced a poor girl to live with him on this deserted planet, and help him sleep? “Why the hell does he need someone to help him sleep?” Peter asked aloud.

“I am not sure,” Mantis answered hesitantly. “I think it is because his thoughts keep him awake.”

“What kind of thoughts?” Peter was curious, and if he was going to be spending eternity stuck here with Ego, he might as well learn as much as he can about him.

“I believe it is… regret, guilt over his past actions.”

What the hell? “What past actions?”

“There were others here, once. Children. They would always arrive alone, brought here by a man I never met.”

“What happened to them?”

“Well,” she began, “Ego would always test them. To see if they could handle the light.”

“And?” Peter prompted.

“None of them could.”

“Still, that doesn’t answer my question. What happened to them?”

“He killed them.”

“He WHAT?” Peter growled.

“He-“

“No, I heard what you said. That son of a bitch.”

* * *

Gamora was piloting the ship, deep in thought, when suddenly, an alert popped up. She saw that it was from Yondu and immediately answered. “Hello?” Gamora asked cautiously.

“Hey,” Yondu responded flatly.

The stared at each other in an awkward silence for a seemingly endless moment.

“Well?” Gamora prompted.

Yondu sighed. “There’re some things I should probably tell you about Peter’s father.”

Rocket chose that moment to walk in. “Yeah, you’ve been awfully tight-lipped about the guy,” he remarked.

Gamora glared at him. “Tell us what you know.”

Yondu took a deep breath. “Ego… well, he’s a dangerous guy. He’s a Celestial.”

His statement was met with matching expressions of shock from Gamora and Rocket.

“Peter’s father is a Celestial?!” Gamora finally exclaimed.

Yondu nodded. “Peter wasn’t the first kid of his I’d picked up. I decided not to bring him to his father when I noticed the others were dead.”

“How many others were there?”

Yondu looked right at them. “A lot. And I wasn’t the only one bringing his kids to him.”

Rocket growled. “I’m going to kill that bastard.”

Yondu smiled at him. “It’s damn near impossible to kill a Celestial.” He reached out and the connection went dark.

* * *

Well, that had gone better than he’d hoped. At least Peter’s friends were pissed at Ego, not him, despite the fact that he had let his greed take over and had done the one thing he had sworn not do.

Ravagers were not nice people. They all came from messy backgrounds, and barely followed a code. They had no regard for the law. Still, there was one thing always ingrained in his head.

Ravagers don’t deal in kids.

Yondu had done it anyway.

He had completely forgotten where he had come from, and everything he had done to get to where he was. He betrayed the code and every tiny bit of his conscious just for a few units.

Yondu would regret taking that deal for the rest of his life.


	7. A weapon in our human fight

Peter had never really thought about the fact that he might have alien half-siblings. It had just never occurred to him that he might have another unknown family out there, somewhere. But now, he strongly felt the loss of the siblings he had never met. They hadn’t deserved any of this, they just had the misfortune of being the children of the dick-lord Ego.

The sound of approaching footsteps forced Peter out of his thoughts. He desperately hoped it was just Mantis coming back. But it wasn’t. Of course it wasn’t.

Peter glared at Ego, tracking his movements as he walked into the room. Ego smiled at him, that cold, humorless smile that disturbed Peter greatly.

“You know I hate to do this, son. Just cooperate with me-“

“Don’t call me son,” Peter growled.

Ego studied him for a moment before shaking his head. Peter fought back with what little strength he had left as Ego pulled him out of the cage by his leg.

“I’m truly sorry, Peter.”

* * *

There hadn’t been another person on Ego for a very long time. Mantis had thought it was finally over. She had thought that Ego had gone through all of his children.

But one morning, Ego had woken up with a smile on his face. He had turned to her and said that he still had a son out there, and he might hold the key to completing the Expansion.

That day, Mantis had sworn that she would do everything she could to protect Ego’s last son.

* * *

It was all coming together, at last.

The Expansion.

Peter was much stronger than he ever could’ve anticipated. Using his son’s power, Ego had already absorbed a few small planets. That might not seem like much, but it was more than he could have possibly imagined achieving in such a short time frame.

Ego watched casually as Peter hovered in front of him. This power… it was incredible. He felt like he could do anything.

* * *

The Guardians all stared in silence at Ego’s planet.

The planet itself was beautiful, all bright colors and flowing plants. It didn’t seem like something that would belong to someone Yondu had called a “sadistic manic.”

“You sure this is the right place?” Rocket asked.

“It does look exactly as he described it,” Drax commented.

The Guardians shared uneasy looks.

“Well, let’s go find a place to land.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Tumblr as sleep-is-for-the-weak :D


	8. A moment overcast

Light, and then pain. Darkness, and then quiet. It was an endless, vicious cycle.

Peter laid still in the silence, enjoying the blissful moments between Ego’s visits, hoping that this time, Ego would give him a little bit longer to relish in the peace.

How long had it even been since Peter had arrived here? He could feel the memories of the time he had spent with his friends fading. Ego wasn’t just stripping him of his energy, he was taking everything that was important to him.

Suddenly, the door opened.

  


* * *

  


Ego watched as Peter’s eyes widened when he sauntered into the room. He smirked when he saw the tremors coursing through Peter’s body.

Peter was close to breaking. It was evident in his every move as he pulled Peter out of his cage with much less resistance than there was a mere few days ago.

As soon as he could pull Peter over the edge, the world would be all… him.

  


* * *

  


Mantis stood tall in the roaring winds of Ego, looking up at the ship orbiting the planet.

The planet always behaved unpredictably when Ego was draining Peter. The winds would blow hard, the ground would crack, and the sky would go dark. As Ego grew in power, the effects got even worse.

Mantis needed to find a place for this ship to land as quickly as she could. She ran around the planet, seeing things she had never seen before, running around caves and chasms. Suddenly, a flat plateau came into view. She waved frantically at the ship, desperately hoping they would see her and land safely.

  


* * *

  


“I am Groot!”

“Where?” Rocket asked, scrambling over to the window where Groot was.

“What is it, Rocket?”

“Groot says there’s someone down there.”

“Right there!” Drax pointed.

“I am Groot!”

“Yeah, we should follow them.”

  


* * *

  


Mantis smiled. The ship was landing! Hopefully they would be able to help her save Peter.

After the dust cleared, Mantis saw four figures walk out, and hurried over to greet them. 

“Hello!” She tried to smile.

The newcomers were not amused. “Where’s Peter?” demanded the green lady.

Mantis pointed in the direction of the building. “Follow me, I’ll show you.”

  


* * *

  


After a while, Ego finally stopped. Peter slumped on the ground, panting. Ego frowned at him before dragging him back to his cage.

Suddenly, Ego smiled.

Peter frowned. That was concerning. Usually, Ego looked… disappointed after their sessions. He never smiled.

Whatever. Peter closed his eyes and tried to sleep in a desperate attempt to get some of his energy back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second infinity war trailer came out. It was incredible. Here's the link if you haven't seen it yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwievZ1Tx-8
> 
> The Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers, y'all. Incredible.


	9. for all burden, care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chance that Peter was alive was getting smaller every minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for disappearing for so long and then coming back with such a short chapter.

“What is this place?” Rocket asked as their guide lead them to where Peter was.

“It’s Ego,” Mantis stated plainly.

“That’s incredibly egotistical, naming your planet after yourself,” Gamora remarked.

“No, he didn’t name the planet after himself,”

“What do you-“

“He is the planet.”

Gamora stopped walking. “Can you tell us a bit more about him? I’d like to know who I’m meeting before I do.”

Mantis nodded. “It all started when he brought his first daughter here…”

———

This was not good. If Ego had killed all of his other children within days of them arriving here, the chance that Peter was alive was getting smaller every minute.

“How much longer will it take us to get there?” Gamora questioned Mantis.

“If we continue at this pace-“

“Just give me an answer!”

“Gamora,” Rocket warned.

“What,” she practically snarled.

“You need to calm down.”“Fuck you, Rocket, I am not calming down. How can you act calm like that? Peter is dying, Rocket, and we can’t waste time just… chatting like this!” Gamora stomped ahead of all of them.

“Gamora!” Drax shouted.

His warning came too late. The figure sauntering down the path towards them quickly and efficiently knocked her out.

———

Ego was disappointed. He had hoped that he would have had more time to spend alone with his son before his friends came, but they were faster than he expected.

He ran his hand over his face after he disabled the last one. The tiny tree had proved himself a more capable opponent than he had predicted.

Ego took one last deep breath before transporting all of their bodies into his palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	10. I heard you talk

Peter was finally dozing off when he heard a loud thud.

He sat up as much as he could to try to see what was going on. As he looked around the room, everything looked normal until-

Oh. _Shit._ That-

Peter’s breathing quickened. He had lasted this long on the hope that at least his friends were alright. But now, seeing their bodies in front of him…

This couldn’t be real. This had to be some cruel trick. Ego could manipulate everything around him, right? He could easily just make fake bodies and throw them here for Peter to see, just to make him think they were dead.

But as Peter strained his eyes, looking closer at the bodies, taking in every little detail, it was clear that these were real bodies.

_Fuck._

———

Rocket groaned as he rose back into consciousness. He could feel the warmth of other bodies around him and immediately sat up. As he looked around, he saw his teammates lying around him.

But wait, where was Quill? He looked up and saw a cage containing the final member of his team, and suddenly, everything came rushing back to him.

“Shit,” he swore.

Peter blinked at him.

Rocket stood up and hurried over to him. “Are you alright?”

“Well, look who’s awake.”

Rocket turned towards the doorway where Ego had just walked in. Growling, he stepped towards him.

Ego frowned at him. “Did I really just leave you all lying there? How rude of me.” The Celestial raised his hands and a prison of light formed around the still-unconscious Guardians. With one fluid movement, Ego swooped in and picked up Rocket.

“Put me down, you bastard!” Rocket struggled, trying to sneak out of his iron grip. Ego gave him a blow to the head for his struggles and threw him in the cage with his team.

“I don’t care what you do, as long as you don’t get between me and my son.”

Rocket snarled at him as he dragged Peter to the center of the room. He could hear Drax stirring behind him, finally waking up.

“Rocket?” Drax asked quietly. Rocket turned to look at him before pointedly watching Ego as he summoned more strands of of magic-light. He watched as he stabbed the strand right through Peter’s chest. He watched as Peter’s body hung suspended in the air and his screams eventually turned into silent sobs, and silent sobs turned into Peter hanging limply.

Peter was never silent and still, unless he was trying to sneak up on someone. It wasn’t just the harsh blue light casting it’s glow over the room that made the scene look unnatural. It was the fact that Peter wasn’t dancing, or singing along to that obnoxious Terran music he loved so much.

Rocket could feel something inside him break when he saw the tears starting to roll down Peter’s face.

———

Yondu tried one more time to contact the Milano.

No answer.

Something was going on. The last he had heard from them, they had been orbiting Ego’s planet. Either they were too busy mothering Quill, or something had happened.

Yondu had a feeling it was the latter.

———

Peter was seeing whole civilizations getting destroyed because of him. He saw as one mother threw her child as far as she could as the blue mass absorbed her, hoping that somehow her daughter would be able to run faster than she could.

He knew that they were dying because of him. If only he hadn’t been so foolish, running off with his father without any hesitation. If only he was stronger, like Gamora, and Rocket, and all his friends, and he could’ve fought back, and everyone would still be alive.

Peter would’ve snorted if he could. He wasn’t a hero, despite what some liked to say. He was a criminal and a thief who just happened to have saved the world once. A hero would just hang here while his father used him to destroy the world.

A hero wouldn’t let his friends die because of his silly desire for a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Tumblr as sleep-is-for-the-weak :D Follow me there for updates!


	11. Still I am losing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This couldn't be happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, this chapter really didn't want to be written.

This couldn’t be happening.

Gamora had known in theory that Peter’s father was doing something bad to Peter, but knowing it and seeing it are two completely different things. Whatever Ego was doing to Peter looked terrible. She needed to figure out what he was doing with his tentacles of light.

This didn’t seem as straightforward as Thanos.

———

Yondu stared at the screen.

It was right there, the location of Peter’s ship.

The location of Ego’s planet.

If he wanted, Yondu leave them all there to die. There would be no evidence tying him to the Guardians’ tragic deaths. He could quietly take the money Peter owes him, and leave it all behind. It’s what he’s wanted for a long time.

Right?

———

Dammit.

Gamora needed to go help Peter. She needed to touch him and gently reassure him that everything was alright. But she was stuck on the other side of the room, just a few strides away from him.

Peter looked terrible. It was clear that Ego’s… treatment was taking it’s toll on him. She closed her eyes and leaned back in an attempt to calm herself down. It hurt so much to see her best friend slumped unconscious like that and be able to help him.

She needed to come up with some sort of plan to help him. Their situation was… bad. Ego’s magic was trapping them, which means they couldn’t escape it like an ordinary prison. Rocket’s expertise wouldn’t be as useful as it usually is.

This enemy wasn’t something she could kill. This wasn’t something Drax could smash to pieces. This wasn’t some small space that only Groot could fit into. This was something that Peter would know how to fix, but this was the one time that they could not rely on him.

“Fuck,” Gamora muttered. How the hell were they supposed to get out of this? They were facing a god on his own turf. Their key player was missing. They were all stuck in this damn magic cage. Peter was…

They were fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Tumblr: sleep-is-for-the-weak


	12. The thought of the heart’s desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They needed to get him out of here. Fast.

Ego’s planet looked the same as it always did, with its harsh, unnatural colors and disturbing lack of… anything. The whole planet had always seemed off to Yondu, even before he knew what Ego was doing to his kids.

Now, he couldn’t even look at it without feeling the weight of all of those kids’ lives on his shoulders.

Yondu didn’t know why it still affected him so much. He killed people all the time, and indirectly killed so many more. But the kids…

They were different. He got to know them all, back when he thought he was just bringing them back for a happy reunion with their father. They were all wonderful, well, as wonderful as little kids could be. They were all unique, and they were all so small.

———

“Well, I know you’re all having fun here, but I’m going to have to interrupt your little party.” Peter’s friends immediately turned around to watch him.

“Ego,” the little furry one hissed. Rocket, that was his name.

Ego pointedly ignored him in favor of grabbing his son, who made little effort to resist. Perfect. The green lady, Gamora, watched him with cold fury in her eyes.

He smiled at her smugly.

“Why are you doing this?” Gamora hissed.

“It’s really nothing personal,” he explained. “I just need a power source, and Peter here is the only available option.”

“I am Groot,” the little tree whined.

“Yeah, what do you need a power source so badly for that you’d use your fucking son?” Rocket growled.

“Well, I was created with a purpose. In my opinion, it’s an awfully important purpose, I can assure you. Peter’s energy will be well spent...”

———

Listening to Ego’s explanation made Rocket’s head hurt.

Of course Peter’s father had to be a psychotic supervillan. He was officially part of the worst father competition. Right now, Gamora was in the lead, because it didn’t get much worse than Thanos, but the competition was tight. It just depended on how long they were going to be stuck here with Ego.

Hopefully that wouldn’t be for too much longer. Quill was already in a terrible condition, and Rocket didn’t know how much longer he was going to last. Ego was a horrible host, and most likely, Peter had been given very little food and water, and humans really needed that shit.

They needed to get him out of here. Fast.

———

Ego was relaxing in his room when he felt another presence approaching him. It was a small ship with only one person. For some reason, it seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite figure out why.

Who else could it possibly be? Not many others had come to his planet before.

Suddenly, Ego smiled.

Yondu Udonta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


	13. A nameless fire in the street

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ego was getting annoyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for disappearing... thank you for reading!

Yondu was not a patient man. Ego knew this, and that’s why he took all the time in the world to approach him, to let him get restless and too eager for action. 

Eventually, he needed to make his move though. He fired a blast of energy in Yondu’s direction, expecting an easy victory. 

To his surprise, Yondu ducked out of the way just in time. 

Well, that certainly made things more interesting. Ego hadn’t fought a decent fight in an awfully long time. 

Yondu fired his blasters at Ego, shredding his current form. Ego growled back at him, already reforming his body. Yondu snarled right back. 

Another blast aimed in Yondu’s direction. Two more shots at Ego. 

“I can do this all day,” Yondu hissed. 

“Sure you can.” Ego sent another bolt in his direction, missing as Yondu ducked behind his ship. 

——— 

“Hey.” Mantis tried to quietly interrupt the Guardians’ arguing. 

No one heard her. 

“Excuse me!” She tried to speak louder but still, no one heard her. 

She took a deep breath, and tried one last time. 

“BE QUIET!” 

They all turned to stare at her. 

All of her confidence immediately evaporated. “I… I might be able to get us out of here.” 

——— 

Ego was getting annoyed. Yondu kept dodging his attacks. He really hadn’t wanted to kill him, but… 

He directed all of his energy into a single blast, exploding Yondu’s ship. 

That should do the trick. 

——— 

Mantis maneuvered her hairpin through the lock as Rocket directed her until it finally opened with a satisfying click. She pushed the door open, flinching as it creaked. 

“I am Groot!” the little tree cheered. She smiled at him before heading over to free him and his companions. 

After they were all freed, she breathed a sigh of relief. 

“What do we do next?” Rocket asked her. 

“I put him to sleep.” 

——— 

Suddenly, the attacks just stopped. 

What the hell? Ego never gave up like that. Yondu peered over the edge of his ruined ship, searching for the Celestial. 

When he did see him, Ego was lying unconscious on the ground. He had no clue how and why this happened, but Yondu took the opportunity to make his move, running off to where he assumed Peter and his friends were. 

——— 

Mantis knelt on the ground, her face scrunched in concentration. Keeping Ego asleep was taking a lot out of her, but she had to be strong, for the sake of Peter and his friends. 

Suddenly, a figure came barreling through the doors. She flinched, almost breaking her connection, but the Guardians all rushed to her defense. 

“Yondu,” Gamora grimly greeted. 

“Where is he,” Yondu growled. 

Gamora turned around to look at Peter, Yondu’s gaze following her’s until he noticed Peter. 

“That bastard,” he hissed. He grabbed his blaster and melted the lock on the cage and Peter came tumbling out. Gamora and Yondu immediately knelt by his side, her hands feeling frantically for a pulse, melting with relief when she gained the confirmation that he was alive. 

“Excuse me,” Mantis quietly interjected. “I think—“ 

The rest of her sentence was drowned out in a rush of thundering blue light. 


	14. Do not stand at my grave and weep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest chapter so far. Enjoy!

Everything around them was flickering with blue light, cracks forming in the granite floors as Ego’s power flowed through his planet. Gamora cursed quietly under her breath as a storm of magic formed on the horizon. Mantis suddenly collapsed from the force of Ego’s awakening.

“We gotta get out of here!” Rocket howled.

“That’s pretty obvious, you blasted idiot!” Yondu stood up, pulling out his blasters.

“I am Groot!” he yelped. The Guardians all turned towards him to see Ego towering over the tiny tree.

“Leave him alone,” Rocket snarled, aiming his blasters at the Celestial and stalking towards Groot.

Ego swatted him away easily.

Rocket watched from the ground in horror as Ego approached Peter and Gamora. She drew her swords, ready to fight him, but he ignored her in favor of grabbing Peter’s arm.

“Don’t touch him, you bastard,” Gamora hissed.

Ego smirked at her. “I can touch my son as much as I please.” He knocked Gamora out of his way. Rocket ran over to where she leaned against the wall on the other side of the room. Ego didn’t even notice him running because all of his attention was focused on Peter. Fearing what Ego was about to do, Rocket quickly checked over Gamora for injuries before turning back to Peter.

Peter…

Ego had him suspended in the air by tendrils of his blue light. Rocket cursed, unable to look away from his friend. Dammit, had had to do something. But how could he possibly defeat a god?

———

Mantis was a failure.

She had one job, and she couldn’t do it. Now, because she was a failure, Peter was suffering.

She had to fix this, somehow.

———

Mantis was standing alone by the side of the room, staring blankly at Ego and Peter. Rocket quickly glanced over at Ego, making sure his attention was still solely on Peter before making his way over to her.

“D’you have any idea what we should do?” he quietly asked her.

Mantis nodded. “I think I have a plan.”

Rocket smiled, baring his teeth. “Good.”

———

Mantis’ plan sounded solid. She would put Ego to sleep again while he was distracted by Peter, and then they would get the hell out of there.

“You ready?” Rocket asked her.

“Yeah.” She knelt on the ground, feeling around until she found a suitable power path. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and murmured, “Sleep.” Across the room, Ego suddenly collapsed, and Peter fell to the ground with a sickening _thud_. Rocket rushed over to him, Yondu and the other Guardians trailing behind him.

“I’ll take Peter,” Drax and Yondu said at the same time. They glared at each other until Drax finally gave in. Mantis smiled. They all clearly cared about Peter, and they would take great care of him.

“Let’s go.” Gamora and the others turned towards the exit. “Coming, Mantis?”

“I can’t,” she informed them bluntly.

“What?” Rocket stared at her. “We’re not leaving you behind.”

“I can’t leave with you, I have to keep him asleep.” Tears started forming in her eyes. Mantis really hoped they left before she started to cry.

Rocket paced back and forth. “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?"

“I knew you never would have agreed if you knew.”

“That’s exactly why you should’ve told us!” Rocket yelled.

Mantis flinched. “I’m sorry, but it’s the only way. Please… just go.”

“Mantis…” Gamora began softly.

“Just _go!_ ” Mantis screamed.

They stared at her for a while. “We’ll come back if we can, Mantis,” Gamora said.

Mantis knew that she’d be dead long before they’d ever be able to return, but she decided not to tell them that. “Thank you, Gamora.”

After a long moment, the Guardians finally left her to die in peace. She held Ego back for as long as she could, giving them as much time as possible to escape and go somewhere far, far away. Finally, she let go. Ego’s light once again flooded the palace.

“You ungrateful traitor!” he screamed.

“I couldn’t let you kill another one.” The tears were flooding down her face now, as she faced her former master for the last time.

“Damn you!”

Blue light flooded her vision, penetrating every crevice of her body, burning her up from the inside, until finally, everything went black, and Mantis slipped into the peaceful embrace of death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry?


	15. Acquainted with the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter would be fine. He had to be.

Rocket was still in shock from Mantis’ sacrifice as he piloted the Milano away from Ego’s planet as fast as he could. Gamora and Yondu were off tending to Peter in another part of the ship, but he couldn’t let himself think about the possibility that he might loose two friends in the same day.

Peter would be fine. He had to be.

Rocket shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on piloting the ship, not on Ego or Mantis or Peter or…

Right. Piloting the ship.

———

Peter was not alright. Gamora needed to change that. She hurried around, searching the ship for medical supplies that would work on a Terran. Though, now that she thought about it, he really isn’t a Terran, he’s actually half god, or whatever the hell Ego was.

She had no clue what the hell she was doing. Peter had few visible injuries, he just looked a bit beat up, nothing major, but… he was not waking up.

“Gamora,” Rocket called softly.

She turned sharply towards him. “What.”

“You need to calm down. You’re no use to Peter like—““I am calm!”

Rocket stared at her.

“Okay, maybe I’m not calm.”He snorted.

“Just…”

“I know, Gamora, I’m worried too. But you have to stay calm. For Peter’s sake.”

———

Ever since they had returned to the ship, Yondu had not left Peter’s side.

“I didn’t know you care so much about him.”

Yondu looked up to meet Gamora’s eyes. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”

She shrugged. “I suppose.”

Yondu watched as she sat down in the chair next to him. They sat in silence, watching Peter breathe.

“He’ll pull through. He always does. He’s a strong boy.”

Gamora took a deep breath. “How can you be so sure?”

He smiled. “I have faith in the kid.” Peter would pull through. He had to. Or else… Yondu didn’t know what he’d do, but it wouldn’t be pretty. “I trust him.”

Peter shifted a little bit. They watched him carefully, Yondu allowing himself to feel the slightest bit of hope. But then, he stilled once more. Yondu leaned back against his chair with a sigh.

“It will be a while yet before he wakes, if he ever does.”“Don’t get started with ‘ifs,’ girl. Peter will wake up.”

“But what if he doesn’t?”

“Don’t, Gamora. Don’t go down that road.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay with this one, but I've wrapped this story up quicker than I expected, so only one more chapter after this, and then an epilogue.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	16. They listened at his heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today started just like every other day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before the epilogue!

Today started just like every other day in the weeks since they’d left Ego’s planet. Gamora woke up in the cramped chair someone had dragged near Peter’s bed. She stood up, stretched a little, and sat back down until Rocket dragged her out of his room to get some food.

“You gotta eat, Gamora. Peter wouldn’t want you to be like this.”She glared at him. “Don’t talk like that.”

He sighed. “Just… come on.”When she got to the kitchen, Yondu was already there, picking at something but not really eating. She met his eyes as they walked in and took an empty seat next to him.

“Any change?” Yondu asked habitually.

She shook her head. Rocket put some food in front of her, and she tried to eat. Really, she tried. But she just wasn’t hungry, and there was no way she was going to eat while Peter was still unconscious. Eventually, she and Yondu gave up on breakfast.

Gamora quietly opened his door, and—

“Peter!”

Yondu ran to catch up to her, and stopped suddenly when he saw the room in front of him.

Peter was sitting up, eyes open, familiar smirk on his face. “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

Rocket heard the commotion from the other room, and soon came running down the hallway. “Asshole,” he muttered before turning to leave. Right before he left the room, he looked back at Peter. “It’s good to have you back.”

Peter smiled at him before returning his attention to Gamora and Yondu. “How long?”

Yondu’s face returned to neutral. “You’ve been out for sixteen days.”

Peter’s smile fell. “Where are the others?”

“Drax and Groot are… somewhere. I haven’t seen them this morning,” Gamora answered.

“And Mantis?”

Yondu and Gamora’s silence answered that question.

“What happened?” Peter demanded.

“She… she needed to keep Ego asleep while we escaped. I’m sorry, Peter.” Gamora moved to comfort him.

“I’m sorry, boy, it was the only way.”

Peter closed his eyes, and a few tears leaked down his face.

“I’ll… be around.” Yondu smiled sadly and left Peter and Gamora alone.

“You should’ve saved her, Gamora, you should have left me behind.”

Gamora was heartbroken. “It was impossible, Peter, there’s no way Ego—"

“Don’t say his name."

Gamora looked at him with concern evident on her face. “Peter…”

He sighed. “I don’t want to think about him right now.”

“You don’t have to, not anymore, you’re safe here.”

“Thanks, Gamora.” He smiled at her.


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the middle of the night, and Peter was awake, as usual.

_One Month Later_

It was the middle of the night, and Peter was awake, as usual. He didn’t sleep much these days, not since… Well. Meeting his father.

“Peter?” Gamora called out groggily.

“Hey,” he replied softly, smiling at her.

“Nightmares?”

He laughed. “You know me so well.”She smiled slightly. “Wanna talk about it?”Peter sighed. “Not really.”

Gamora reached out and grabbed his hand. They sat in silence for a while.

“I can’t believe it’s only been a month,” Peter commented.

“Well, a month since you woke up. It’s been longer than that for me.”

Peter frowned at the reminder of his long nap. “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Peter.”

The two of them gazed out the window, watching stars and nebulae float by them. Drax’s snoring could be heard across the ship, and Rocket was awake in his room, quietly tinkering with some bomb.

Peter loved it. He loved his friends, and he knew that he could always rely on them to come for him, no matter the cost, and he would always do the same for him. They were truly a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and that's a wrap.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me through the long hiatuses and short chapters. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
